Open space district proposes bond measure in June

(Nhat V. Meyer / Bay Area New Group/2006)
A hiker and his dog are seen here on a trail in the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve.
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is planning to ask voters June 3 to vote on a $300 million bond measure. The bond funds could go towards as many as 25 projects throughout the district.

Voters residing within the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's sphere of influence will likely be voting on a bond measure this June, which, if approved, could go toward more than two dozen potential projects and initiatives within the district over the next few decades.

The district's board of directors agreed on Feb. 12 to go forward with plans to have voters decide whether to authorize the sale of up to $300 million in bonds. The board will likely sign off on the proposed measure during a second reading on Feb. 26, paving the way for a June 3 vote by residents.

If approved, the bond money will go toward a slew of projects aimed at public access and acquiring and restoring open space. As many as 25 projects are on tap. Funds will go toward more hiking, biking and equestrian trails and conserving additional open space areas such as watersheds, redwood forests and farmlands.

The measure is a general obligation bond that will raise an additional $300 million over approximately 20 to 30 years. A two-thirds majority vote is required for passage.

If the bonds are approved, the district expects to sell the bonds in several series over time. Funds can only be used for capital improvement projects, according to the district.

Advertisement

The measure will increase local property taxes by $3.18 per $100,000 of assessed value. If approved, the measure will create rules for an expenditure plan detailing how the bond revenues would be used and for the creation of an independent citizen oversight committee made up of community members.

The proposed ordinance would call for an election in the district, which spans parts of Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. Seventeen cities and towns make up the district, including Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills.

The district developed the plans during a 16-month visioning project that saw staff and the public identify 54 priority actions, including a slate of 25 priority open space projects. The projects range from opening preserves and building trail connections to improving water quality, protecting the coastline, restoring forests, and creating wildlife corridors. Projects proposed in Rancho San Antonio County Park near Cupertino call for interpretive improvements, refurbishing and transit solutions.

The district board gave final approval for the vision plan on Jan. 29. The plan will guide the district's work the next 20-40 years and beyond.

On Feb. 12, board members expressed thanks to district staff for working through the vision plan and bringing about the bond measure proposal, which will be the first funding measure in the district's more than 40-year history.

"It's been a long process, and I am very proud of our staff that got us here," board treasurer Curt Riffle said.

Vice president Pete Siemens, a board member since the early 1990s, said discussions of the vision plan and a bond measure have spanned many years and multiple decades.

"Now we're ready," he said. "I think we're positioned about as well as we can and ever will be."

If the board signs off on the second reading on Feb. 26, then the measure documents will be given to the registrar of voters in all three counties where county counsel will do an impartial analysis. Arguments for and against the measure will then be due by March 11, according to district staff.